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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22785109">Valerie gets a break!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stubat/pseuds/Stubat'>Stubat</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildeHopps/pseuds/WildeHopps'>WildeHopps</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Zootopia (2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Bunny orphan, Gen, Hungry, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Just Desserts, Nasty restaurant owners, Payback, Police Report, bending the rules, compassion - Freeform, fluff!, neglectful orphanage, wildehopps</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:14:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22785109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stubat/pseuds/Stubat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildeHopps/pseuds/WildeHopps</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Commissioned work for Stubat by WildeHopps (Cimar of Turalis) based on an OC by Stubat, art and design commissioned from Foxena of FurAffinity. Base downtrodden character idea by Stubat, realized and fleshed out by Cimar.  (Thanks!) Valerie belongs to Stubat, Nick/Judy are Disney, Ralphie and Etna OCs of Cimar.</p><p> A lousy restaurant owner discovers a small starving bunny kit rummaging through the garbage. Captures the bunny, calls the ZPD to take away the thief. Nick and Judy respond. Things happen. Seems that pigs really can fly... Sad stuff. eventual happy stuff. Probably just a one-shot, but more content is being discussed. Some fluff.  several bits of art included. Enjoy!  Stubat/Cimar</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde, OC/OC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Valerie gets a break!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey, folks!  This is a first attempt at posting to AO3. My (Stubat's) writing isn't up to snuff yet, so Cimar took a commission for this story. Some of the art and the character herself is from a story idea back in 2017 or so. That didn't pan out, so she stayed in the dark for years.<br/>When Cimar offered story commissions, I proposed this sad little bun. This is a bit of a prequel, as the original design was as a teen. This story starts much earlier and takes a different direction. The art at beginning is brand new, the teen art at the end is the original.  Things change. Always wanted to get this character out there. Some chance of more chapters down the road if folks like this bit.  Hope you enjoy!  Stubat</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>
Never Alone<br/>
Commission to Stubat; written by Cimar of Turalis/WildeHopps</p><p><br/>
 The little girl dug into the can greedily, swiping her finger through the remains of the tomato paste within it with gusto, relishing the taste only for a second before swiping her finger down into the can once more.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> “Ow!”<br/>
She winced, shaking her paw, biting back tears as she looked down to see how deep the cut was on her finger from the razor’s edge of the can. A thin trickle of blood oozed from the wound. The speckled furred bunny threw the can away, sucking on the cut and hoping it wouldn’t get infected like last time.</p><p><br/>
  “Hey, you! Bunny! What are ya doing back here!”</p><p><br/>
  Another can barely whizzed past her head, sending her bolting down the alleyway as the pig tossed another empty can her way.<br/>
It connected with the back of her head, sending her tumbling to a stop with cries of pain and agony as she slid across the harsh pavement and rubbish left behind by other mammals. She tried to get up, to flee, to run as fast as she could, but was stopped by a cloven hoof gripping her by the nape of her neck. </p><p>
  
</p><p><br/>
  “You ain’t stealing from me no more, kit!” the hog shouted into her face, as she scrunched up in fear. The pig let out a squeal like chuckle as he hobbled back inside his restaurant. “Etna! Call da cops! I finally caught the runt stealing from our garbage!”</p><p><br/>
  A female sow leaned from around a large pot she was stirring. “A’ight. Gimme a moment to let this curdle a bit.” Wiping her hoof off on a dirty apron, she trundled across the rancid looking kitchen to the wall phone. “Ya finally did something useful, Ralphie,” she snorted, earning a glare from her husband. Though his reply was silenced by her hoof as a voice picked up on the line.</p><p><br/>
  “Yeah, I’d like to report a thief, and we got her too. Can ya send a unit to come toss her in jail?” <br/>
The bunny doe stared hopelessly forward, the white fur on her cheeks smudged with filth and the remains of her last meal, as the sow continued with the call.</p><p> <br/>
  “This will be the last time you steal anything ya good fur nuthin’ runt!” the pig stated with a chuckle, shaking the poor doe and causing her trembling to increase. “You’s are lucky we ain’t just going to throw ya in that pot over there. Rabbit stew for some sick predator scum. Maybe you’d give ‘em some type of disease haha.”</p><p>  The doe could only stare blankly ahead, as a few tears trickled down her cheeks.</p><p><br/>
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ </p><p><br/>
  A gentle thrumming turned heads in Sahara Square, as a ZPD cruiser rumbled down the street. The two mammals inside joked back and forth about the day so far, idly waving at a kit or two they’d seen waving at the them as they passed. <br/>
The static blast of the radio interrupted their current discussion of their fourteenth capture of a certain weasel now sitting in the back of the cruiser. A red furred paw clicked on the radio. “Hey Spots, whatcha got for us?”</p><p>  “Nick,” Judy said in a jibbing tone. “We don’t want Bogo after you, again, for breaking protocol over the radio.”<br/>
The fox chuckled before grabbing the radio once more. “10-4 my good mammal. Z-240 responding.”<br/>
A chuckle rang back over the radio. “Did Judy get after you again for protocol, Nick?”</p><p><br/>
  The rabbit next to him chuckled, Nick shaking his head. “Was I reminded of how little I enjoy parking duty? Yes, yes I was. What’s up, Spots?”<br/>
“Got another call from Potbelly’s. Apparently they caught a thief and you’re the only unit nearby.”<br/>
The weasel in the back perked up. “Potbelly’s? That good for nuthin pigsty! If you didn’t tip em at least 40% they’d call the cops on ya!”Nick let out a heavy sigh before clicking the radio to life once more. “10-4. Z-240 responding, out.”</p><p><br/>
  As they pulled up to a stoplight, Judy turned to Nick. “Potbelly’s? What’s that?”<br/>
Again the weasel from the back piped up. “It’s a terrible restaurant that makes a garbage dump look like a cleaned up hospital.”<br/>
“Is it?” Judy asked Nick, who sadly shook his head.<br/>
“Weselton isn’t wrong.”<br/>
“It’s Weaselton!”<br/>
“The place has a bad reputation for a reason, especially among the poorer folks in Sahara. Most mammals try to avoid it at all costs as you go in for food and can come out with mange.”<br/>
Judy shuddered. “It can’t be that bad, can it?” Her voice was hopeful, but all hope died at the weary look in Nick’s eyes.<br/>
“It’s all in who you know, and the owners know some mammals up fairly high.”<br/>
“Who are the owners?”<br/>
“Porkerton’s.”<br/>
“Oh…” Judy’s ears drooped.</p><p><br/>
  “Oh’s, right, Fluff,” Nick replied as the light turned green. “Take the next left, then five blocks down on our right. They’re second cousins to Counselmammal Porkerton, so nothing happens to them in the long run. I know a guy who got such lousy service he didn’t leave a tip. Next thing he knew he was being dragged behind the store, his wallet taken and a tip ‘kindly’ given to them.”</p><p><br/>
  The steering wheel crunched under Judy’s paws. “I think we need to have a word with these mammals then.”<br/>
“This oughta be good. Flopsy the Copsy versus the Potbelly’s. I’m suddenly glad I’m along for this. Can I watch?”<br/>
“You can stay in the back,” Judy shot back. “We’ll keep the AC on for you as this might take a while.”<br/>
Nick smiled, his eyes twinkling with mirth underneath his shades. This is going to be fun.</p><p><br/>
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p><p>  The patrol vehicle set a long shadow outside the decrepit looking sandstone building it was parked in front of, the two police mammals headed towards the front door as a weasel pressed his face up against the glass in the back seat. Nick sauntered to the door, opening it for Judy as she purposefully strode through the door, momentarily gagging at the stench inside. <br/>
It smelt like the proverbial pigsty, or her cousin’s Bertha’s last party in college.</p><p><br/>
  Judy sidestepped a large stain of something on the floor, then hopped over a splattering of what appeared as some sort of gruel. Nick did the same, making sure to elevate his tail above the unknown substance before the pair was spotted by a pig behind the front counter. </p><p>  “There you two runts are. ‘Bout time the fuzz showed up; late as always.” The pig snorted as he wiped his hooves on a stained apron before turning his head towards the back. “Hey, get the little thief up here for da cops to put away.”</p><p>  A portly sow trundled through a pair of swinging doors, a disheveled looking bunny kit in her hooves. “Here’s the little thief. Caught her out back swiping our food, the little brat.” The pig tossed the bunny kit to the ground in front of the two officers, the tiny rabbit doe shivering in fright while wincing in pain at the stinging drop.<br/>
Judy’s nostrils flared as her ears quivered in rage. Yet she kept it in check as she walked up to the girl, gently placing a paw on her shaking form. “Are you okay, little one? Do you have a name?”</p><p><br/>
  The pig behind the counter guffawed. “Her name is Thief, so amscray already with her. We’re losing business with a cop car out front.”</p><p>  Judy blatantly ignored them as she stroked the little girls’ ears. “Hey, it’s going to be okay, alright? “<br/>
It was then the pigs noticed Nick looking around the restaurant. “Hey, you!” Ralphie snorted, pointing a stubby hoof at the fox. “Git outta here. You may be wearing blue, but you’re just as dirty as that thief right there!”</p><p>  Nick froze as he felt a sudden coldness fill the restaurant, and he didn’t even need to look at his bunny partner to know the feeling of anger came from her.<br/>
“Nick?” Judy calmly stated, belaying the anger flaring beneath her words. <br/>
“Yes, darling?” Nick replied, still looking around the facility as if he hadn’t a care in the world.<br/>
“How many health code violations do you see in this restaurant?”<br/>
Nick stuffed his paws into his pockets with a cheeky grin. “Well, so far about 47, but I’m sure if we went to the back we’d find enough to make even a sewer rat gag.”<br/>
“Call it in, Nick.”<br/>
Nick smiled. “With pleasure.”</p><p>  Ralphie, who up to this point had a scowl on his features, slowly turned it into a grimace. “Whaddya think you’re doing? You knows you who are dealing with?”<br/>
“Two mammals about to get a lovely visit from a health inspector who isn’t paid under the table by their cousin?”<br/>
“You threatening us, pelt?” the sow bellowed, grabbing a rather large ladle from off the counter and pointing it towards the fox officer. “That didn’t go to well for the last cop who tried this sh-“</p><p>  “That’s enough!” <br/>
The sow went instantly silent at the shout from the bunny, now holding the still shaking kit. Judy glared at the two pigs for a moment as a smile crept upon her face. “Nick?”<br/>
“Yes?”<br/>
“Execute Maneuver 616.”<br/>
Nick smiled. “With glee.”</p><p>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p><p>  “That was totally wicked!” <br/>
Judy couldn’t help but chuckle at the kits enthusiasm. It probably was the first time that the little girl had seen a pig fly through a window based off their own momentum, or for the two pigs to be sitting in the back of a squad car with matching deep soup bowls stuck on their heads, their bodies coated in the foul smelling concoction that had, up until a few minutes ago, filled the containers.</p><p> <br/>
  The older rabbit smiled at the fox sitting next to her in their cruiser. He reached over the little bunny sitting next to him and pounded fists with his rabbit partner. “So, little lady, where are we off to next?”<br/>
The smile vanished from the little doe’s face, her excitement and enthusiasm vanishing quicker than one of Clawhauser’s donuts. She mumbled something softly, so quiet that even Judy had to lean down to hear her.<br/>
“What was that, sweetie? It’s okay.”<br/>
She mumbled again, and this time even Nick could hear the sorrowful words spoken.<br/>
“Shady Oaks Orphanage.”</p><p><br/>
  Judy nodded. “Okay, we’ll take you back there so you can be with your friends.”<br/>
Judy started the ignition, but was stopped by a large russet paw over hers. Looking at her partner, all she could see was the panic in his ears.<br/>
“We can’t take her there, Fluff.”<br/>
Judy wasn’t one to doubt Nick’s hunches or suggestions about the city. On more than one occasion he had saved their lives based upon his knowledge of the city, its places and inhabitants. Though the fear in his eyes was something she rarely saw.<br/>
“Why can’t we, Nick?” Judy asked quietly, before glancing down at the trembling doe between them.<br/>
“It was where Finnick was.”<br/>
Judy’s jaw dropped slightly.<br/>
“Oh…”<br/>
Nick nodded slowly. No other words needed said about the orphanage. “So, what do we do if we can’t take her there?”</p><p>  Nick paused, taken a moment to look at the quivering mess sitting between the two officers. The little girl looked up at that moment, her soft, rose colored eyes bloodshot from the tears streaking down her face. <br/>
“Please don’t take me back. Please…I’ll…I’ll do anything. I’ll be your doormat so you can wipe your feet off on me, or…or the one to test if the stove is hot enough to cook on…or…or even a dish rag! I’m good at that, just…please don’t take me back there!”</p><p><br/>
  Nick heard the gasp next to him, and could feel his insides shudder at what the kit has said. It was no secret. He’d heard it all from Finnick what happened to smaller mammals at that place when the fennec fox had come back to his van in a drunken stupor and started cursing out the old orphanage he grew up in. Though for Judy, he imagined it was a shot to her heart.<br/>
He glanced over at her as he felt his seat shift, and saw that Judy had already grabbed the kit and held her in a tight hug, tears streaking through her grey fur.<br/>
“Oh sweetie!” Judy murmured softly as she cradled the now weeping kit. “Don’t worry. We aren’t taking you back there. You won’t have to worry about that anymore, okay? Don’t cry now, sweetheart.”</p><p>  Her affection filled words did little to quell the tearstorm of the small bunny. “Everyone says that,” she said through sobs. “Everyone always says…that…”<br/>
She fell silent, crying into Judy’s chest as the grey doe looked to her partner with sorrowful eyes. <br/>
‘What should we do?’ she mouthed to Nick.<br/>
“Let’s switch seats,” he replied. Judy nodded, undoing the seatbelt as the two traded places. Nick watched the other officers at the scene give them some odd looks, but Nick gave them a thumbs up to say everything was okay as he belted himself in.</p><p>  “So, little one, what’s your name.”<br/>
It took a minute of driving for her to respond, hiccupping sobs stuttering her reply. “Valerie…Lisa.”</p><p>  “Well, Valerie. I think I know a place where you can be safe for forty eight hours, and we’ll try and figure something out for you, alright?”<br/>
The little girl shook her head, mumbling another, “They all say that”, before gripping Judy even more tightly as another round of sobs began. <br/>
“What are you planning Nick?” <br/>
The fox looked stoically ahead. “She’s not going back to Shady Oaks. And I’m not trusting another orphanage after what I know she’s been through.”<br/>
“So…” Judy asked as she felt the girl quiet in her arms, her breathing leveling out as she cried herself to exhaustion. “What’s the plan? She’s asleep now so I know you have something in mind?”</p><p>  Nick’s answer stunned Judy in a momentously happy way. <br/>
“Judy, didn’t you always say you wanted to start a family?”</p><p>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p><p>  It wasn’t easy. The best things in life never are.<br/>
She’d run away three times.<br/>
She’d woken them a dozen times with her screams of terror in the middle of the night.</p><p>  Kit protective services had been called on them four times now, and they were on a first name basis with most of the officers in that group. <br/>
Their bank account had been shredded from buying all the new clothes, and the wedding hadn’t been cheap either. </p><p>  Almost a full year had passed before the head of the orphanage had been taken down in a sting operation, led by Nick and Judy, and a much kinder head put in place. But it was all worth it to see that smile as the judge signed the papers officially completing the adoption of Valerie Lisa…WildeHopps. </p><p>  They were together…finally.<br/>
It had been a day they all had been looking forward to. Valerie, now nine years old, was full of life, joy and happiness. Each day she would wake up both Nick and Judy before their alarms when she burst into their room, jumped onto their bed and give them both hugs as she declared how much she loved her mom and dad.</p><p>  Judy still cried every time she was called Mom. </p><p>  Little by little, Valerie opened up to her new family. She’d been dumped at the orphanage at roughly two years old, old enough to barely remember what was going on in her life, but not enough to do anything about it. She’d been there for five years and each day was more terrifying than the last. She’d gone without food so many times she couldn’t count, and had been used as a dish towel so often it had made her fur brittle and dead. <br/>
So she’d begun escaping to find food and happiness. </p><p>  When she’d first opened up about her escapades, Nick had been suitably impressed, saying her hustling skills were on par with his. Valerie’s eyes had gleamed in happiness at the compliment, but after a stern glare from Judy, the tod had added that hustling her new parents wouldn’t be necessary as she’d find more than enough love and food with them. <br/>
After a brief laugh, and a family hug, she’d told them of several of her trips out of the orphanage through a hole in bathroom. It led into an old alley behind the orphanage, and across the street from a pizza parlour that had become almost a second home to her, until the owners found her rummaging around in their trash bin one night and chased her off with a broom and threatening to beat her should she return.</p><p>  “Hold on there, Val, I have a quick phone call to make,” Nick had interrupted to say, before heading out of the living room into his and Judy’s bedroom. <br/>
It was absolutely no surprise to anyone that the pizza parlor had a surprise health inspection the next day and was shut down for a week in order to clean itself up. </p><p>  When Nick had returned from the bedroom, the little doe had continued. She’d started exploring more of the area within a few blocks of the orphanage, and had found the place where she’d been caught only two weeks prior. She’d even managed to sneak into an opera house which was performing a play about a cougar kit who didn’t want to grow up and fought pirates while flying and acting weird. <br/>
The description had brought a chuckle to the adults in the room, before they continued listening to her story. She went on for hours, the family only stopping for lunch as they wanted her to let it all out. </p><p>  By the end of her story, Valerie was tired, and felt like she may have destroyed her family and they wouldn’t want her anymore. So she was surprised when she felt them wrap their arms around her, tell her they loved her and she was a very brave doe. <br/>
Many tears of joy followed. </p><p>  One of the hurdles for them to adopt her was that they would have to be married. Nick and Judy didn’t mind that clause at all. They’d already been dating a while, with Judy wanting Nick to propose already and Nick trying to find the perfect opportunity. </p><p>  He had…it involved Valerie, a romantic dinner, and an accordion playing weasel. It was hokey, adorable, and everything Judy could have wanted…<br/>
…especially when another weasel had shown up and tried to snatch a purse. As Nick quipped after the very short chase, thanks to Valerie ‘borrowing’ the accordion to use as a yo yo to hit Duke in the back of the head and knock him down, “Nothing is as romantic as arresting Weaselton for the 50th time.”</p><p>  The wedding was a small affair, only Judy’s entire family, Nick’s mom, and most of Precinct One showing up for it. Valerie did double duty, being the flower girl, as well as giving a short speech about how much she loved her soon to be family. </p><p>  The only tricky part of the entire affair was keeping Valerie away from the orphanage as Nick and Judy had promised.  The idea Nick had come up with was absolutely brilliant in a horrendous and hilarious way.</p><p>  The first two days, Nick and Judy kept Valerie at the precinct for ‘questioning’. As Nick put it, “When we’re investigating a crime, we can hold someone for two days. Might as well see how long we can keep her here instead of there.”<br/>
And thus began what was eventually called, “The Endless Investigations”. </p><p>  On day two, as Valerie, Nick, and Judy were walking out the door, they heard a loud exclamation behind them from Clawhauser. <br/>
“O M Goodness! One of my donuts is missing!” He’d shouted, while reading the line off a piece of paper Nick had given him. “Nobody can leave the building until we find the culprit!”</p><p>  Judy had looked at Valerie, who had shrunk in on herself. “Hey,” Judy whispered in her ears. “Would you like to stay here for another two days while we find that donut culprit?”<br/>
Her eyes had lit up like spotlights, her head nodding vigorously as she jumped at Judy, giving her a tight hug. The scene brought a very loud, ‘Awwwwwwww!’ from Clawhauser, and even though he wouldn’t admit it, a smile on Bogo’s face as he watched from the third floor. </p><p>  After that, many ‘crimes’ happened at the precinct that went unsolved.<br/>
“Who moved my cheese?” <br/>
“Somebody ate a slice of my birthday cake!”<br/>
“WHO CRAZY GLUED ME TO MY SEAT!”</p><p>  And on, and on it went. Every other day a new ‘crime’ would be reported within the precinct, and Valerie would always be asked as a ‘witness’ for it. Judy and Nick volunteered to watch the ‘criminal’, including taking her home with them so they could keep an eye on her all night, much to the kit’s glee. Nobody questioned it, and most were either amused, or participated in the elaborate ruse, all the way to the day the papers officially adopting Valerie Lisa WildeHopps were signed. </p><p>  The celebrations had lasted long into that night. They’d gone to Val’s favorite restaurant, invited all her new friends from her new school, and enjoyed a truly blessed night. On the way home, Valerie couldn’t contain her excitement, gushing about all they could do now as an ‘official family’. As soon as the car pulled to a stop in front of their home, she’d unlatched herself from her seat and hugged both Nick and Judy, saying the words they’d come to love to hear…<br/>
“I love you Mom and Dad.”</p><p>  It had been a long road for the little doe.</p><p>  </p><p>  A rough journey full of sadness and despair, but also happiness and joy. She had finally found a family, and was beloved by so many. The hopelessness of her early years became a bygone memory as she grew and aged into a beautiful young bunny. The bespeckled doe with the pinkish eyes went from being hated at an orphanage, to Valedictorian of her high school class and prom queen.</p><p>
  
</p><p>  From the only education she had being what she taught herself, to graduating from college suma cum laude. </p><p>  She finally had everything she’d hoped for when she’d found the love of her life as well, marrying in the same chapel her parents had. <br/>
All thanks to being caught stealing food from a garbage can…</p><p> </p><p>       …and she wouldn’t have changed a thing. </p><p> </p><p>End!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, folks, I hope that you have enjoyed our efforts here. Possible further bits in the life of the WildeHopps are under consideration.</p><p> Thanks, as always, to Cimar, JKnight97, Foxena of FurAffinity and all the Zootopia fans that sparked this old bat into life.<br/>Blessings and WildeHopps forever!  Stubat and Cimar</p></blockquote></div></div>
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